The Super Bowl-bound Seattle Seahawks gave up the fifth-fewest total yards per game this season (304.8). They also gave up the fewest points per game (17.2). Notably, both of those figures would've been much better if it weren't for Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams.
The former No. 1 pick put up big numbers in his three meetings with Mike Macdonald's team this season. He did so again in the NFC Championship Game, completing 25 of 36 passes for 346 yards, three scores, no picks, and a passer rating of 127.8.
However, as good as Stafford was for most of the game, he wasn't as efficient in third and fourth down. As explained by ESPN analyst Mina Kimes on her podcast, it was all due to the physicality of the Seahawks' defensive backs.
Seattle Seahawks DBs disrupted everything on third and fourth down
"On third and fourth down, the Rams went 2-for-10; this is a crazy stat," Kimes said. "Ten third and fourth downs, five of those plays, the Seahawks made PBUs. Five. Fifty percent of the third and fourth downs in this game, and two of them were runs."
Nick Emmanwori, Devon Witherspoon, and even Riq Woolen were all outstanding when it mattered the most. They got around and over their opposition, disrupting every single pass that came even slightly close to them.
Granted, Stafford got them in early downs, but the Seahawks just had to pick their poison. They were going against one of the most talented passers of his generation, and he was inevitably going to make plays.
Props to the secondary for staying grounded and even keeled, even when it looked like Stafford was about to feast. They took things one down and at a time, and while that 'bend, don't break' approach comes with risks, they rose to the occasion when it mattered the most.
That has been a formula for success for Aden Durde's defense this season. It's not much of a coincidence to see that the Seahawks gave up the lowest conversion percentage on third down in the entire league (32.1).
Devon Witherspoon had the two biggest stops of his young career on consecutive plays, reaffirming his status as one of the elite defensive backs in the game. As for Emmanwori, he looks poised to torment pass catchers for the next decade-plus. Overall, the Rams went 1-for-8 on third down and 1-2 on fourth down in the biggest game of the season.